Cage type washer



Sept. 10, 1963 c. l. PLATT x-:TAL

CAGE TYPE WASHER Filed July 26. 1961 d M/ MW y? m @.6 9 w w w j@ u fm J. g \H1U m WH //\W*\/ f7 V\ "2 V @uw r V W|, @gf VH H a 25 5 @@224 0. a W w W www y l r i Ursi United States Patent C) Filed July 26, 1961, Ser. No. 126,976 6 Claims. (Cl. 438-23) This invention relates to a yfabric cleaning device such as a clothes washing machine.

In a common type of clothes washing machine such as illustrated for example in U.S. Patent No. 2,770,118 there is provided a vertically reciprocable agitator for supplying agitation to the fabric load land the liquid 'which performs the cleaning operation. In a laundry device this liquid is of course a water solution of a detergent. Because the vertically reciprocable agitator normally extends -above the liquid sur-face during the cleaning operation tand because the detergent reduces substantially the surface tension of the liquid there is a tendency to produce a large quantity of suds. Excessive suds. of course reduces the efficiency of :the cleaning operation.

One of the fea-tures of this invention therefore is to pro-vide a fabric cleaning device having means for reducing substantially the amount of suds produced by a vertically reciprocable agitator.

Another lfeature of the invention is to provide ian improved fabric cle-aning device employing a vertically reciprocable agitator a-nd including an improved lint [filter adapted to remove suspended solid particles such as lint from the liquid.

Other features and advantages will be apparent from the .following description of the invent-ion considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a washing machine embodying the invention.

ln the illustrated embodiment of the invention the laundry device includes :a tub 1li having located therein a basket 11 containing perforations (not shown) and with both the tub and the basket having open tops for loading. Extending upwardly within the tub 1d and substantially centrally located with respect thereto is a drive `shaft 12 that extends to beneath a platform 13 on which the tub is mounted. The bottom of the shaft 12 beneath the platform 13 has attached thereto a drive pulley 14 adapted to be rotated by means of a belt 15 driven by a reversible electric motor (not shown). Rotation of the pulley 14 rotates the shaft l2 :as the two are `attached together `as by means of .a set screw 16. The pulley 114 is loca-ted between two plates 17 and 18 with the upper plate 17 bei-ng spaced beneath the platform 13 to provide for a one-way clutch and bear-ing assembly 19. The plates 17 and 18` and the associated par-ts are Vmounted beneath the platform 13 as by a plurality of bolts 20.

Exten-ding upwardly through the bottom of the tub `10 is a basket spin tube '21 that is ixedly attached to clutch hub 19a and closely surrounds the drive shaft 12. Located outwardly of the basket spin tube 21 is a support tube 22. This support tube 22 is attached to the `base platform 13 as by welding. Located outwardly of the support tube 22 is :a basket tube 23 whose upper end :is held by a collar 24 that surrounds the basket spin tube 21 and is attached thereto. The bottom of the basket tube 23 is attached to the bottom `42 of the basket 11. As can be seen, various `,gaskets lare provided for sealing the space between the shaft 12 and the tube 21 and the space between the shaft 12 a-nd the tube 21 and the space between the tubes 21 and v22. In addition, the

gasket 25 is provided sealing the bottom of the tub 10 to the support tube 22.

Mounted on the upper end of the ldrive shaft 12 is a cylindrical cam 26 that is provided with a cam follower 27 that is spring pressed into engagement with the cam track 28 as by a spring 29 held against the follower 27 by a removable cover 30. The cam 26 is located within the .tubular interior 31 of a vertical agitator 32. This vertically reciprooable agitator 32 is provided with a radially extending tubular projection 33 in which the cam follower 27, spring 29 and cover 30 are located. Rotation of the shaft 12 in one direction with resultant rotation of the carn 26 causes vertical reciprocation of the cam follower 27 and thus of the agitator 32 in a customary Iand well-known manner as exemplified by the aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 2,770,118.

The agitator 32 which may be made of a molded plastic such as nylon includes a stepped generally cylindrical body 34 provided with numerous perforations 34a as shown. This body 34 has a series of steps 35 progressing inwardly from the top to the bottom of the agitator. The agitator 32 also lincludes three equally spaced radi-al webs 36 and is of integral construction. These steps 35 tend to push or poke fabrics downwardly during the reciprocation of agitator 32 and a iluid circulation through perforations 34a by the pumping mechanism hereinafter referred to.

Located adjacent .the bottom of the basket 11 there is provided -a pump housing 38 having an upwardly projecting `annular neck 39 surrounding the drive shaft 12 and itself provided with .three equally spaced upwardly projecting straps 40. These straps are adjacent but spaced outwardly from the tubular interior 31 of the agitator 32 and extend beyond the top of the agitator. The main portion 38a of the pump housing 38 slopes outwardly and downwardly .and is attached to the bottom of the basket 11 `at the outer edge of the housing by means of 'mounting feet 41 spaced approximately 90 apart. The space between the pump housing 38 and the bottom of .the basket 11 provi-des the pumping space 43 and located therein is a pump impeller 44 that is attached by means of an upwardly extending impeller tube 45 to the cam .26. Rotation of the shaft 12 and cam 26 causes rotation of the impeller 44 to propel liquid outwardly along the bottom '42 of the basket 11 and upwardly therein to provide la rolling or turning. action to the fabric or clothes suspended in the liquid 46 during reciprocation of the agitator 32.

Located interiorly of the-agitator 32 there is provided a lin-t lter 47 made of polyethylene or the like having a lower portion 4S substantially concentric to the shaft 12 and to the `agitator 32 and shaped like an inverted frustum of a cone. The upper portion '49 of the lint filter is also shaped like la frustum of a cone but here with the small end 501 at the top. The three straps 40 extend through openings 51 in this portion 49 of the lint filter.

In order to intercept substantially all threads and other suspended foreign material in the liquid 46, the outer surf-ace of the `lower portion 48 of the lint filter is provided with a plurality 4of outwardly and upwardly sloped spaced spines 52.

The upper end yof the agitator 32 is enclosed within a cover member 53 having a cylindrical portion S4. 'Ihe top 55 of the cover member is connected by means of a bolt l56 to the upper end 40 `of the lint filter 47. A spring plate `57 is spotJwelded to the top 55. This spring plate is provided with three downwardly extending spring fingers 58 which are releasably retained within openings adjacent the tops of the straps 40. Thus, the cover member 53 and the upper end of the lint `filter 47 are 3 connected together as la unit by means of the bolt S6 and this unit is releasably held in position on the mpper ends of ythe straps 4@ by the spring lingers 58. When desired, the assembled unit of the cover member and lint filter may be removed from the straps fili for cleaning merely by grasping the unit and moving it upwardly. The bottom of the lint filter 47 is open in the vicinity beneath the tubular projection 33 of the agitator 32 so that the lint filter may pass upwardly around this projection.

Without this invention vertical reciprocation of the agitator 32 would tend Ito whip the liquid i6 or washing solution into excessive su-ds or foam. However, with the provision of the cover member S3 lhaving its lower end extending .downwardly into the liquid 46 during the agitation Aof the washing operation the production of suds is considerably retarded so as not to interfere with the cleaning or centrifuging operations. Furthermore, circulation of the liquid caused partially by operation `of the pump agitator 44 and partially by the vertical reciprocation of agitator 32 causes the liquid to flow through t .e openings 34a into the interior of the pump housing 38. In this flow the water contacts the outer sur-face of the lower portion 48 of the llint -iilter 47. During this flow lint, threads and other foreign p-articles )are entrapped by the spines 52 and removed from the liquid. Then, at the end of the washing operation it is only necessary to remove the lint filter in the manner previously described and rinse the lint and foreign material from the lfter.

The combined one-way clutch and bearing assembly 19 includes ,a radial thrust bearing 19h and a conventional type tone-way roller clutch @190. Thrust bearing 1% supports basket 11v for rotation through the oneway clutch 19C when shaft 12 is rotated in a reverse direction from ithat by which agitator 32 is causedto reciprocate. Rotation of shaft i12 in this reverse direction does not produce a reciprooation of agitator 32 since there is no relative motion between cam 26 and cam follower 27. The thrust bearing 19h is supported by ,thrust plate 19d Awhich in turn is supported by the spacer members 119e carried by bolts Ztl. This assembly produces a simple compact and effective drive mechanism yfor agitator 32 and basket 11.

It will be appa-rent from this description that rotation of shaft 12 by pulley 14 in one direction causes reciprocation of agitator 32 and fluid circulation into perfor-ations 34a and out of pump housing portion to effect `a rolling action of clothes within basket 32 and a scrubhing of lthese clothes by stepped portions 35 during the torodial movement of the clothes within basket 11. Basket '11 is restrained against rotational movement during the agitation by the spring biased braking pawl or one-way brake 191 It is during this fluid circulation through agitator 32 that lint, [thread and various foreign particles are trapped by lint filter 47.

ln the subsequent centrifuging operation, pulley 14 is reversed in rotation to cause the ione-way clutch 19C to pick up clutch hub 19a and rotate basket ill through fthe open tube 21 to effect the desired centrifuging action. The spring biased pawl 119]c slides freely on the periphery o-f clutch hub 19a during the extraction operation.

Having described our invention as related to the embodiments shown in the iaccompanying drawings, it is our intention that the invention be not `limited by any of the details `of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

We claim:

l. A fabric cleaning device, comprising: a container for the fabric load and `a liquid; `a substantially vertical drive shaft extending upwardly in said container; a substantially vertically reciprooable agitator surrounding said shaft and driven thereby, Ithe `agitator surrounding said Al shaft and driven thereby, fthe agitator having liquid permeable sides `and a hollow interior; and a lint lter surrounding said shaft substantially fixed in position within said interior having lint catching means thereon.

2. A fabric cleaning device, comprising: a container for the fabric load [and a liquid; a substantially vertical drive shaft extending upwardly in said container; a pump adjacent the bottom of said container surrounding said shaft and dri-ven thereby for propelling liquid outwardly relative to said shaft, the pump having a housing extending upwardly around said shaft; la substantially vertically reciprocable agitator lsurrounding said shaft above said pump and driven by seid shaft, the agitator having open sides and a hollow interior; fa lint filter surrounding said shaft substantially xed in position within said interior having lint catching means thereon; and means suspending said filter from said housing.

3. A fabric cleaning device, comprising: ra container for fthe fabric load tand a liquid; a substantially vertical drive shaft extending upwardly in said container; a pump adjacent the bottom `of said container surrounding said shaft and driven thereby for propelling liquid outwardly relative to said shaft, the pump having la housing extending upwardly around said shaft; a substantially vertically reciprocable agitator surrounding said shaft above said pump and driven by said shaft, the agitator having open sides, an upper end normally extending above said liquid during the normal cleaning operation and a hollow interior; a removable lint filter substantially xed in position within said interior having lint catching means thereon; a removable cover member substantially fixed in position enclosing said upper end and having a lower end extending beneath the surface of said liquid, said lint filter and cover member being fastened together as a unit; and means removably mounting said unit on said pump housing.

4. A fabric cleaning device, comprising: a container for the fabric load and a liquid; a substantially vertical drive shaft extending upwardly in said container; a pump adjacent the bottom of said container surrounding said shaft and driven thereby `for propelling liquid outwardly relative to said shaft, the pump having a housing extending upwardly around said shaft and a plurality of projections extending upwardly from said housing; a substantially vertically reciprocable agitator surrounding said Shaft above said pump and driven by said shaft, the agitator having open sides, an upper end normally extending above said liquid `during the normal ycleaning operation and a hollow interior; a removable lint filter substantially fixed in position within said interior having lint catching means thereon; a removable cover member substantially lixed in position enclosing said upper end and having a lower end extending beneath the surface of sai-d liquid, said lint Ifilter and cover member being fastened together las a unit; and means removably mounting said unit on said projections with the projections having their upper ends extending through said lint filter and located twithin said cover member.

5. The invention set `forth in claim 4 Afurther includes a support plate, a radial thrust bearing supported in said support plate, a clutch hub mounted on said thrust bearing and `connected' to said container, a one-way brake engageable with the periphery of said clutch hub and restraining said container against rotation during reciprorcation, of said agitator when said drive shaft is rotated in one direction, and a one-way clutch mounted within said `clutch hub `for rotating said container when said drive shaft is rotated in a reverse direction.

i6'. A fabric cleaning device, comprising: a container for a fabric load and a liquid; a substantially vertically reciprocable agitator having a liquid-passing upper end normally extending to above said liquid during the cleaning operation; a removable lint filter defining a lower,

downwardly narrowing, ifrusto-conical portion lwithin said upper end of the agitator, an upper portion substantially xedly retained above the agitator, and a plurality of upwardly sloped spines projecting outwardly from said lower portion yfor intercepting foreign material in liquid passing into the agitator; and a removable cover member substantially fixed in position and having an upper, imperforate annular portion encircling said upper end of the agitator and a lower, imperforate annular portion continuing downwardly from said upper portion and normally extending into said liquid.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A FABRIC CLEANING DEVICE, COMPRISING: A CONTAINER FOR THE FABRIC LOAD AND A LIQUID; A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL DRIVE SHAFT EXTENDING UPWARDLY IN SAID CONTAINER; A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE AGITATOR SURROUNDING SAID SHAFT AND DRIVEN THEREBY, THE AGITATOR SURROUNDING SAID SHAFT AND DRIVEN THEREBY, THE AGITATOR HAVING LIQUID PERMEABLE SIDES AND A HOLLOW INTERIOR; AND A LINT FILTER SURROUNDING SAID SHAFT SUBSTANTIALLY FIXED IN POSITION WITHIN SAID INTERIOR HAVING LINT CATCHING MEANS THEREON. 